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Spanish Recognitions: The Roads to the Present | 
 enlarge | Author: Mary Lee Settle
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Category: Book
List Price: $15.95
Buy New: $4.63
You Save: $11.32 (71%)
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1213219
Media: Paperback
Pages: 358
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.4 x 1
ISBN: 0393327175
Dewey Decimal Number: 946
EAN: 9780393327175
ASIN: 0393327175
Publication Date: August 11, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
"Settle takes us along as she digs into Spain's past....Consistently compelling."—Wayne Hoffman, Washington Post Book World At eighty-two years old, Mary Lee Settle set off alone to find the Spain she thought she knew. But, like Columbus on another voyage of discovery, she found something—many things—that she hadn't even known she was looking for. Winner of a National Book Award for fiction and author of an acclaimed book of travel and history on Turkey, Settle brings to her task the visual equivalent of perfect pitch. She follows the great, traumatic flows in Spanish history: the Moorish conquest from south to north, and the Christian reconquista several hundred years later in the opposite direction. Those epic struggles, shaped by geography, are the source of the fascinating tensions in the Spanish character, in its art, architecture, and literature, and the author's magical prose puts these gifts in our hands.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Brings Spanish history to memorable life August 11, 2007
Veggiechiliqueen
Mary Lee Settle brings a sparkling sense of wit and passion to this memoir of her journeys through central and southern Spain. Our intrepid traveler made her journey alone, rented a car and drove herself across Spain, not able to speak Spanish. Even more amazing is that she did so at the ripe young age of eighty-two years old!
Spanish Recognitions is generally a pleasant read, although it loses steam in an anticlimactic finale. Settle begins her journey in Spain's capital, Madrid, winds through Castilla (Avila, Tordesillas, Zamora, Salamanca) and into southern Spain (Extremadura and Andalusia). Nary a mention is made of the architectural gems of Barcelona, the quest for an independent Basque country, or the lush green hills and Celtic legacy of Galicia, where bagpipes are the instrument de rigueur.
What Settle brings with her is a keen sense of living history, a touch of the supernatural (one of her visits to a Templar ruin hints at a credibility-straining otherworldly encounter), and decades of traveling experience. She respects Spanish culture and customs, and weaves seamlessly between important (often violent) battles from Spain's past and their effects on the present. Snippets of Spanish legend and folktale round out her explorations of archeological ruins and restoration projects.
Nearly 100 pages are devoted to the Islamic presence in Spain. North African Muslims (Moors) invaded Spain in 711 CE and retained power over a gradually shrinking Spanish kingdom until Ferdinand and Isabel conquered their last remaining stronghold, Granada, in 1492, followed by the expulsion of all Jews and Muslims that same year. This had severe repercussions for Spain, as talented doctors, bankers, craftsmen and scholars were lost and libraries of Arabic texts on medicine and learning, very advanced for their time, were burned during the Inquisition. Settle hints at how the Moorish kingdom was torn apart not by Christian soldiers and mercenaries, but by rival Islamic rulers and increasingly extremist fundamentalists who felt that certain rulers were engaging in un-Islamic behaviors. There is even a mention of Osama Bin Laden, who cited the theft of Al-Andalus (Andalusia) by the Christians in an early videotaped tirade.
The weakest part of the book is by far the final few chapters, which take some of the power away from the excellent musings on Islamic Spain's past glories. There is a sudden, jarring transition away from Granada to theories on Atlantis, of all things. But overall, Settle brings a joyful freshness to a much-written-about destination, with a child's sense of wonder and a love of exploring off the beaten bath. She makes long-lost footnotes of Spanish history come alive in a way that few writers are able to accomplish, and fans of Michener's Iberia will most likely enjoy Spanish Recognitions, as will most anyone who's had the good fortune to travel in Spain.
Travels with Donna Quixote December 23, 2006
Blue (Washington, DC United States)
This chronicle of a long ramble through parts of Spain by 82-year old (at the time) Mary Lee Settle is far from perfect in its detail and flow, but there is something quite endearing about it. Settle poked into some obscure corners of the country and discovered some fascinating people and places. Her descriptions of each encounter really make readers want to replicate the experience for themselves. The discomforts and limitations of an elderly traveler are unexpectedly interesting. Settle's forbearance and resolve to get on with the trip no matter what are also inspiring. This is an interesting and touching travel memoir that is definitely worth reading, especially if a trip to Spain is being planned by the reader.
 Some recognitions are too familiar... August 1, 2004
Old Grumbler (Canada)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
As an aficionado of Spain and (almost) all things Spanish, I have read Mary Lee Settle's book with pleasure. Although she covers a lot of well-trodden ground, she also introduces the reader to some less-known places, such as Zamora, Guadalupe or
Jerez de los Caballeros. Her writing style is smooth and evocative, and her personal, opinionated way of seeing things quite enjoyable (unlike some other reviewers, I do believe that good travel writing must be personal and opinionated, otherwise it is just guidebook writing.)
However, "Spanish Recognitions" suffers from several evident shortcomings and faults. Its editing is rather poor: numerous Spanish words are either misspelled, or have their accents misplaced or completely omitted (but it is worth pointing out that Ms. Settle always uses the correct expression "auto de fe" instead of the Portuguese "auto da fe", so irritatingly common in other books about Spain.)
The text also contains a substantial number of factual errors and misunderstandings. For example, Goya never created any "black prints", only "black paintings" (p. 21; the prints in question are called "Los Caprichos"). Goya's famous painting showing the execution of Spanish insurgents in Madrid is called not "The Second of May" but "The Third of May, 1808", while the canvas referred to by Ms. Settle (not incorrectly) as "The Attack on the Mamelukes by the Madrilenos" is also known as "The Second of May" (that's why so many streets in Spain bear the name "Dos de Mayo"; both examples from p. 24).
On the same page, Goya's series of etchings is referred to as "The Horrors of War" instead of the proper title "The Disasters of War". Also, Goya did not arrive in Madrid in 1780 "with the dung of [his] village still on his boots" (p. 19-20): he had been by then already well established in the Spanish capital, working on tapestry cartoons for the Royal Tapestry Works of Santa Barbara. Even before that, he had executed several important commissions in and around Saragossa, and stayed for some time in Italy.
On page 29 Ms. Settle states unambigiously that the model for Goya's twin paintings "The Clothed Maya" and "The Nude Maya" has been the Duchess of Alba but this identification is completely unsupported. Finally, pages 28 to 32 are devoted to the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida and its famous frescoes by Goya without mentioning the fact that this church is the resting place of the painter himself.
On pages 63-64 the author seems to state that Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) was still alive and in charge during the Thirty Years War (1618-1648). On page 25 we find the following, obviously untrue, statement: "There had been an earlier attempt at democracy in 1931, but it was soon put down by a dictatorship." Page 150 includes a mention of the "cathedral" of St. Peter in the Vatican (which is actually a basilica.) On
page 149 the date of Martin Luther's posting of his famous 95 theses in Wittenberg is given as 1516 instead of 1517. On page 182 the date of the founding of the Knights Templar is also one year off (1119, should be 1118). Similarly, on page 180, the fall of Jerusalem during the First Crusade is said to have taken place on July 15, 1087 (the correct year is 1099).
On page 185 Damascus is wrongly listed among the Crusader possessions in the Middle East. The statement on page 198, to the effect that "Augustus Caesar... appointed himself a god", is also not true; in fact, Augustus - from 42 BC on - called
himself "a son of god" (i.e., Julius Caesar's who was deified in that year) but he very carefully avoided the Oriental custom of deifying living rulers. On page 213 the author makes a mistaken assertion that "Islam... has billions of followers, more than
Christianity" (in September 2002 the approximate estimates were 2 billion Christians and 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide.) Prophet Muhammad did not "chose" the name of Islam for his revelations, this term appears in the Qur'an itself (page 214). I am also very puzzled by the precise date of the Prophet's birth - given on page 215 as April 20, 571 - since the best guess by the experts on Islam is "around 570 AD".
On page 263, Ms. Settle describes "a famous Spanish painting of Ferdinand and Isabel receiving a delegation from the Granadian (sic) Jews" in which description she misidentifies not only the subject of the painting (which is in fact about the expulsion
of Jews from Spain) but also one of its main characters. It was Tomas de Torquemada, the famous - or infamous - Grand Inquisitor, and not Cardinal Jimenes de Cisneros, who accused the Catholic Monarchs of trying to betray Christ again for
thirty pieces of silver. Incidentally, she elsewhere calls Torquemada "a fanatic Catholic" (p. 61) without seemingly being aware of the fact that the Grand Inquisitor - like so many other officials of the Spanish Inquisition - came from a Jewish "converso" family.
The most disappointing feature of Ms. Settle's book is a tendency to perpetuate specific myths, cliches and stereotypes about Spain. This is all the more surprising in comparison with the parallel (and usually quite convincing) attempts at debunking other, similar myths (for example, the story of Queen Juana la Loca.) Thus the author's attitude toward the Spanish Civil War simply continues the crude, cartoonish image of "good Republicans" and "bad Nationalists/Fascists". There is no discussion of the undemocratic, discriminatory policies of the "democratically elected" Republican government. Republican prewar atrocities, political assassinations and war crimes are
conveniently included in the phrase "atrocities on both sides" (page 129), and General Franco's role as the defender of traditional Spanish values against communism and anarchy is not even mentioned. Like so many similar accounts, "Spanish Recognitions" seems to imply that the Nationalist side enjoyed no popular support whatsoever, and that it won the war only through terror and brute force, mostly due to the military help of Hitler and Mussolini. Ms. Settle is aware of the absurd character of such a picture: on page 14 she writes, "That was then and this is now, and we know too much about the Spanish
war, but then, it was simple, a black-and-white war, a right side and a wrong side." Nevertheless, instead of trying to construct a more balanced view of the conflict, she escapes into stubborn nostalgia: "If we were naive, thank God for naivete; maybe it breaks the barriers of cynicism." Maybe. But it doesn't produce unbiased history.
Ms. Settle's views on the Spanish Inquisition, the Jews in Spain and the life of El Cid are also entirely conventional (for more realistic treatment of these topics I recommend, respectively, Henry Kamen's "The Spanish Inquisition", Americo Castro's
"The Structure of Spanish History" and Richard Fletcher's "The Quest for El Cid".) On the other hand, she seems to have a soft spot for the Catholic Church and she doesn't bash Philip II or the corrida, thus leaving alone at least some of the most
popular Spanish targets for the politically correct. It is also interesting to observe how, when trying to assess the role of Queen Isabel I, about whom Ms. Settle has written an earlier book, her semi-feminist tendencies constantly clash with her liberal principles.
All in all, "Spanish Recognitions" does not quite measure up to its ambitious title but it is not without merit. A second, revised edition should be even better.
 fascinating May 24, 2004
Stephen McHenry (Olney, MD USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
An 82 year old woman from an American coal mining region heads out to explore Spain on her own in a rental car, with very little Spanish, but a wealth of information she has read before hand. Her notes and thoughts through the journey are fascinating and revealing. Her insights into St. Theresa are original and enlightening, her discussion of the Roman remains in Merida are very interesting reading. In a few short paragraphs lays out why the Muslin religion took hold so well when it did, a description that is simple that I have not seen anywhere else. She takes her facts and transcends them into clear understanding in an impressive way. Without speaking the language she has the feel for the people and conveys it quite well. The last couple chapters tail off in strength, but the book is a definite read for anyone who has been to Spain and is in love with the country. Remarkable piece of work.
a tour through Spains May 21, 2004
I. Tysoe (Earth)
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is a lovely account of one lady's tour through a country with which she so rightly tells us "no one in this new millennium should ignore... it was one of the first places mentioned as being stolen from the Muslims in an early televised Osama bin Laden tirade of bitterness and intent. ... Al-Andalus. Andalucia. Spain. Few in this country knew what he was talking about" (255). I (unknowingly following in Mary Lee Settle's footsteps) decided to find out.Yet it was so difficult to discover any information about post-1492 Spain. I had a hard time finding books telling me about Knights Templar's history and tragic end in Il Torre Sangrienta (the tower of blood); giving me an intimate portrait of Black Virgin's of Guadalupe's haunting eyes; telling me of Unamunno's dramatic defiance of Franco's regime; or telling me the scandal in Zamora. And I had no joy at all in finding a book that tells the story of the many Spains (for in truth as Mary Lee Settle makes clear there is not ONE Spain but many) as though all its rich history grew up naturally--from the stones in the ground. As though this history were but part and parcel of the sights, sounds, and smell of modern Spain. Until, of course, I found this book. For Mary Lee Settle's book does all of the above. She tells her and Spain's story from the vintage point of an often lost and eternally fascinated traveler. A traveler who romps through the physical Spain and through Spain's history equally and who manages to construct an immensely readable and thoroughly enjoyable book interweaving both journeys. It is not, however, a history book and it freely admits this. Indeed, perhaps one of the most precious (to me) parts of this book is the frequent history book recommendations. Mary Lee Settle's Spanish Recognitions is thus the ideal book for someone like me: someone who wants to read about Spain's rich history and who would like to travel there armed with historical and cultural knowledge but who is not sure how to get started. I highly recommend it.
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